This week, a Japanese Shinto garden took root in southwestern Virginia because of family connections spanning geography and generations. Also, in Whitesburg, Kentucky, a new mosaic uses recovered objects to honor the town’s people after the flood of 2022. And, the young adult novel Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire mixes historical fact with spooky Appalachian folklore.
Following the American Civil War, a group of freed people fled violence and bought land in Western North Carolina. In the summer of 1873, these people formed a Black communal society they named “The Kingdom of the Happy Land.” A new novel tells a story set in the kingdom, both in the past and in the present day. It’s titled, Happy Land.
Host Mason Adams spoke with its author, Dolen Perkins-Valdez.
Artists Collaborate On “The Mockingbird”
R.B. Morris playing guitar and singing at the Big Ears Festival.
Photo by Bill Foster
Knoxville, Tennessee’s Big Ears Festival has become a high-profile platform for regional artists to debut new works. This year’s festival featured the premiere of “The Mockingbird” — a collaboration between composer William Wright and Tennessee writer, musician and playwright R.B. Morris. “The Mockingbird” features Morris reading his poetry while accompanied by an experimental chamber orchestra.
Morris was Knoxville’s first ever poet laureate, and his songs have been recorded by John Prine and Marianne Faithfull.
Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Morris about his collaborations and his ability to capture a sense of place.
The West Virginian Egg Church
Church volunteer Pat George puts flowers on completed eggs.
Photo Credit: Zack Harold/Daily Yonder
Even though Easter has passed, you might still be able to find leftover Easter candy. What you probably won’t find are those big chocolate Easter eggs local churches sell right before the holiday.
One church in West Virginia has become known far and wide for its chocolate eggs. Zack Harold, reporting for the Rural Remix podcast, brought us this story.
Appalachian Memes Mine The Laughs
A Little Bubby Child meme which features his Meemaw.
Courtesy of Little Bubby Child
Appalachian humor is often presented as a throwback. Think: old-timers sitting around telling tall tales. Lots of moonshine jokes. Thing is, there’s plenty of modern mountain humor. It’s on the internet.
Last year, Folkways Reporter Madeline Miller brought us this story about two artists who’ve taken holler humor to the digital realm.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Jeff Ellis, Hello June, Joe Dobbs and the 1937 Flood, John Inghram, John Blissard and Blue Dot Sessions.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Clara Haizlett.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
On this West Virginia Week, changes are coming to FEMA, few details on school clothing voucher accusations, and the state has a new guide for data centers.
This week, a Japanese Shinto garden took root in southwestern Virginia because of family connections spanning geography and generations. Also, in Whitesburg, Kentucky, a new mosaic uses recovered objects to honor the town’s people after the flood of 2022. And, the young adult novel Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire mixes historical fact with spooky Appalachian folklore.
A new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that black lung rates are the highest they’ve been since the 1970s. Justin Hicks and Howard Burkes reported on that for the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom. Inside Appalachia’s Mason Adams spoke with Hicks and Burkes to dig a little deeper.
West Virginia is seeing a dramatic decline in overdose deaths, but addiction’s consequences can be complex. On a new episode of Us & Them, Trey Kay explores what addiction can leave behind for children and families through the film “What We Hide” and a conversation with addiction and mental health professionals.
